Fascist America?

John Dean, of Watergate infamy, has already infuriated Bush supporters with his book, "Worst President Ever" (and this guy knows bad presidents since he was an insider during the Nixon administration).  Now he has released a new book that looks into what the conservative movement in this country has become.  He believes we are inching ever closer to being a fascist nation.  He is not alone in this belief, Republican Congressman Ron Paul of Texas just said, "Congress has generously ignored the Constitution while the President flaunts it, the courts have ignored it and they get in the business of legislating so there's no respect for the rule of law."  He went on to say he believed the country had moved into a period of "soft fascism.  But have we gone that far?

Political scientist, Dr. Lawrence Britt, studied fascist regimes of Hitler (Germany), Mussolini (Italy), Franco (Spain), Suharto (Indonesia), and Pinochet (Chile). He discovered that all these regimes had fourteen things in common.  He called these the identifying characteristics of fascism.  How does the United States today stack up to these traits?

1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism -- Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.

I have to dismiss this "trait" out of hand.  Let's face it, every nation on Earth has a flag and most countries use them as symbols to instill pride in their citizens.  Dr. Britt loses me on this point.  I've had an American flag flying in front of my house since the week I bought it back in 1999.  I do have a problem with the idea of a protectionist amendment in the Constitution to keep people from burning the flag.  I don't hear of that many instances of flag burning to justify the proposed changes.  I would still have a problem with it even if it happened daily.  When it does happen, it is a symbolic act and should be protected by our freedom of speech and expression.  If this "characteristic" is used, then all nations exhibit at least one of the fourteen.

2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights -- Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of "need." The people tend to 'look the other way' or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.

If we're not there yet, we're certainly edging closer to it.  I know there are some people who believe in the old "end justifies the need" mode of thinking, but, and I've said this before, I don't believe there is ever a good reason for mans inhumanity to man. We need to set an example for the world to follow and apparently, the Supreme Court agrees with me.  Because the Court has declared the military tribunal system set up for prisoners in the U.S. detainment facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba illegal, the White House announced yesterday that all prisoners there will be extended the protections of the Geneva Conventions.  This doesn't mean the practice will stop completely.  Dick Cheney has made clear that he believes there is a "need" for extreme measures when questioning suspects.   Score two for two as far as the United States goes.

3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause -- The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial, ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.

This has been a theme of the United States since its inception.  We had to rally 'round the flag against the British (twice), ourselves, Spain, Germany (twice), Japan, Communists (Soviets, North Koreans, Vietnamese, Cuba), and now Muslim extremists.  While I'm not saying that I disagree with any of these, I do believe in recent years that the Military Industrial Complex continually pushes - through lobbyists and politicians with greedy pockets - us into conflicts, sometimes without merit.  We have a president who still uses the words "Iraq" and "September 11" in nearly every speech he makes about our need to "stay the course" - this in spite of the fact that on Sept. 18, 2003, Bush came out and said there was no connection between Saddam and 9/11.  But if Bush knows this, why does he continue to link the two in speech after speech?  It's simple - he needs an enemy as a unifying cause.  Because he continues to subliminally plant the suggestion to the American people, there are several Bush supporters who still believe Iraq was behind the terror acts that were in fact perpetrated by Saudis and others under the direction of Osama bin Laden.  That makes us 3 for 3 and on our way to being a fascist nation under and authoritarian government.

4. Supremacy of the Military -- Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.

Let's face it, since September 11, military contractors have been sitting on a gold mine while the gap between the haves and the have nots has continued to widen at an alarming rate.  As a nation, we have a health care system in which many people fall through the cracks.  Most people don't make enough to pay their own medical costs, but at the same time, make too much to receive government assistance.  Jobs are being sent overseas, rising fuel costs mean many people have to choose between freezing to death or starving to death - not a choice I would want to make.  Military recruiters and television ads make the military look like a wise choice.  Marines are seen fighting dragons, Army, Navy and Air Force ads tout high tech training they can use in the real world.  What the ads don't mention is that world travel these days hinge on where the hot spots are..  National Guardsmen joined the so-called '"week-end warriors" only to end up in never-ending tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.  4 out of 4.

5. Rampant Sexism -- The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Opposition to abortion is high, as is homophobia and anti-gay legislation and national policy.

While women are gaining more power in both government and business, the Conservatives still make abortion and gays national wedge issues.  They play upon the fear of middle America to win elections as if allowing two men or two women to have some kind of civil union as being dangerous to the fabric of the nation.  5 steps toward fascism. 

6. Controlled Mass Media -- Sometimes the media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or through sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in wartime, is very common.

The number one news organization in the country, FOX News is nothing more than a mouthpiece for the Bush Administration.  The government has forbidden news organizations from showing the dead returning home from Iraq.  After 9/11, there was an unspoken "hands off Bush" mentality that permeated everyone from  news organizations to stand-up comics - which must have been tough, when you consider the comedy mine they weren't able to mine.  And while this unwritten ban eventually expired - thanks in part to the burgeoning blogosphere, the Right is still overly protective of the administration.  Score 6 of 6.

7. Obsession with National Security -- Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.

After the attack on New York and Virginia, people who would normally be up in arms about erosion of their civil liberties were suddenly willing to give up on freedoms for an imagined safety net against terrorism.  Congress passed the ironically named Patriot Act without even taking the time to read it.  The nation was subject to intrusions into their private lives that years ago would have been unheard of.  Fear is a mighty motivation, and although Ben Franklin supposedly warned, "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety", there are still some people who honestly believe if they allow the government to listen in on their phone calls and read their e-mails that the evil terrorists will eventually all be captured or held at bay.  Any rational thinker knows that if a terrorist is determined to attack America, they will be able to do it - by acting alone and avoiding electronic communication.  We're now halfway through the fourteen characteristics and the United States is hitting on all cylinders.

8. Religion and Government are Intertwined -- Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government's policies or actions.

This may be one of the most frightening of the characteristics.  The Bush administration has embraced the Evangelical crowd and they have reciprocated - to the point of some ministers going so far as to preach the "good word" of George W. Bush.  Bush's brain, Karl Rove has crafted a policy of using wedge issues to bring the Evangelicals out in force to vote.  They vote against progressive and Democrat candidates who Rove has them fearing will pass legislation legalizing gay marriage.  They also vote for a possibility of outlawing abortion.  Oddly enough, these same people are turning their backs on the teachings of Christ as the Prince of Peace in favor of George as the King of War.  They fear turning the other cheek and hope the administration will turn plowshares into swords.  If you think about it logically, the warlike conservatives make strange bedfellows with the Right.  8 for 8.

9. Corporate Power is Protected -- The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.

Very similar to the government's embracing of the Military Industrial Complex, the so-called compassionate conservatives continue to vote huge tax breaks for wealthy corporations and  Dick Cheney even allowed oil company executives write their own rules and regulations.  When these same oil men were called to testify before a Senate committee, the co-chair of the hearing, Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska rejected demands by the Democrats that the oil guys swear an oath to tell the truth.  Remember that it was under the current Conservative stranglehold that Enron plundered millions from investors and employees.  Can you say nine out of nine?

10. Labor Power is Suppressed -- Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely or are severely suppressed.

This actually began during the Reagan administration when Ronnie summarily dismissed all the air traffic controllers who walked of the job.  The gist of the problem in that case was the simple fact that these guys were actually concerned about the safety of the passengers.  They tried to press the fact that an overworked and tired air traffic controller was more likely to make mistakes - sorry, guys, money wins out over safety any day of the week. Just last year, the Financial Times reported that the Bush administration aimed to toughen its regulation of organized labor, in what critics saw as the latest in a series of pro-business policies sweeping Washington. Specifically, political hacks at the Department of Labor "plan greater scrutiny of spending and hiring practices, and continue to increase sharply the number of financial audits of individual unions." Ten for ten.

11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts -- Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts is openly attacked, and governments often refuse to fund the arts.

I've written about this before and was sharply attacked by a local Libertarian who refused to believe that the arts are not as well funded as ever.  However, when I attended school in the '60s and '70s, I know for a fact that there were more art, music and drama classes and extracurricular activities than we see today.  The Right recognizes (rightly so) that the vast majority of artists, actors and musicians tend to vote with the liberals.  It has something to do with creative types thinking outside the box.  Look no further than recent attacks on the so-called "Hollywood Leftists" for using their public soapboxes to promote progressive ideas.  It happens folks and if you don't see it, you're either not looking or you're wearing blinders.  Eleven down, three to go.

12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment -- Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses, and even forego civil liberties, in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.

Another topic I've covered recently.  Just look at wiretaps without due process, telephone and e-mail data mining, no-knock warrants, prisoners held without due process.  We have more people incarcerated per capita than any nation in the world.  1 in every 75 people in the United States will serve jail time during their life.  We continue to be the only industrialized nation in the world who still has capitol punishment.  President Bush signed 155 death warrants while Governor of Texas.  This puts us at a dirty dozen.

3. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption -- Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions, and who use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.

George W. Bush and members of his administration have taken cronyism to a new level.  Remember what a heckuva job, Brownie did?  And we learned that Dick Cheney's old buddies at Halliburton have recently lost their contract with the US Army in Iraq.  According to the UK's Guardian Unlimited, "Last year auditors uncovered $1.4 billion in questionable charges by Halliburton. Former employees accused the firm of double billing on meals, grossly inflating the prices of services - $45 for a case of soft drinks - and allowing soldiers at Rammadi to bathe in contaminated water."  By the standards set by Bush and company, the best qualification for a government job isn't so much what you know as who you know.  Only one to go!

14. Fraudulent Elections -- Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against (or even the assassination of) opposition candidates, the use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and the manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.

I can only speculate on. part of this.  We know the Republicans have been responsible for rampant gerrymandering, and of course Bush had to rely on a partisan court ruling to become president.  There are rumors (with valid reasons I might add) that a few key states have some shady election processes.  Electronic voting machines without a hard copy of the results for verification.  Recently, I discovered video of Clinton Curtis, a Florida computer programmer testifying how he was asked to write a program for a voting machine that could flip the vote and secure a rigged election.  Well folks, it looks like we're edging closer to becoming a fascist nation than I would like to believe.

We can turn this around.  Every single vote is important this fall.  Let's take America back from these "Conservatives without Conscience".